Rantz: School district won’t let students opt-out of LGBT Pride

One Washington school district does not allow parents to opt their children out of LGBT Pride curriculum or activities. The superintendent said it’s offensive to even ask.

The Olympia School District (OSD) has earned global mockery and condemnation for a series of extremist positions and conduct that recently went viral. School Board Director Scott Clifthorne justified a vote to cut funding for music classes because they are examples of “white supremacy” culture that “caused significant institutional violence.” And Lincoln Elementary came under fire for allowing Planned Parenthood to pass out inappropriate sex education curriculum to fourth and fifth graders. It included lessons on multiple genders, promoted puberty blockers, and displayed drawings of pubic hair art.

Given the district’s reputation for using a Radical Left worldview to inform curriculum, some parents have asked to opt-out of LGBT Pride lessons at their child’s school. But they’re not allowed.

Rantz: Rumors flare as LGBT flag replaced American flag at HS

‘Offensive and demeaning’ to opt-out of LGBT school lessons

The district did not provide any Pride curriculum to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH when asked. But parents explained that some examples include singing Pride-themed children’s songs, sharing books with transgender characters, and teaching kids to use non-gendered pronouns. Students are compelled to participate.

“The Olympia School District has no opt out process for Pride-related lessons as they are aligned with the standards that are required to be taught within our schools. OSD is committed to gender-inclusive schools, and we will follow the guidance of our governing agency, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI),” a spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

This issue has come up in the past. Superintendent Patrick Murphy addressed it at a June 23, 2022, school board meeting.

“To ask students, or to ask staff to excuse students, when those types of [LGBT Pride] activities would occur, not only [is it] disruptive to the learning environment and an undue burden, I would say, on staff,” Murphy said. “But more importantly, it’s offensive and demeaning to the very students and staff who are protected… it’s in direct contrast to providing a safe environment for our learners.”

If parents pull their child out of school during lessons, it would count as an unexcused absence, according to a parent.

Inoffensive and reasonable

There’s nothing offensive or demeaning about parents wishing to pull their kids from this district’s lessons around LGBT Pride. OSD is arguably the most extreme district in the state, where propaganda and ideology take precedence over learning.

Educators have been pushing the notion that there are endless genders that can be chosen instead of going with what is “assigned at birth.” But gender isn’t “assigned” by anyone. You’re either male or female. One school district recently told students that “tree” is a pronoun while telling them about how they can choose genders. This isn’t based in science; it’s based in gender identity extremism.

While I do think some parents go overboard in their aversion to anything LGBT, they get to make the decision over what’s appropriate for their son or daughter (or tree), not me. And I certainly think it’s reasonable to be cautious when dealing with OSD.

Rantz: Transgender ‘genocide’ lie is dangerous, as polling is clear

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). He is the author of the book What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities. Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz